Zack Wheeler Takes Loss to Phillies

On a day when the Mets lost Matt Harvey for the rest of the season and probably all of 2014 with a partial ligament tear in his elbow, the Mets really needed their other pitching phenom, Zack Wheeler, to step up. He pitched very well but still took the loss to the Phillies Monday night.

The Mets got on the board in the second — Marlon Byrd got a gift double when center fielder Roger Bernadina gave up on a ball, thinking right fielder John Mayberry was going to take care of it. Andrew Brown then drove him in with a single.

However, the Phillies took the lead in the fourth inning. Michael Young singled with two outs. Wheeler walked Darin Ruf and Cody Asche tripled to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Zack Wheeler gave up a double with two outs in the seventh and was pulled from the game with opposing pitcher Cliff Lee coming up. Perhaps the Mets are now being extra-cautious, especially on this day; Wheeler was already at 105 pitches. Pedro Feliciano came in to strike out Lee.

So Wheeler went 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out seven Phillies and walked just one batter.

The Mets got runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth but Juan Lagares struck out on Lee’s 121st and final pitch on the night to end the inning.

Jonathan Papelbon took the mound for the Phillies in the ninth to protect the one-run lead. As they often do, the Mets went down in order, meekly.

Mets lose 2-1, their fifth loss in a row.